


Gold Metal of Participation

by IambicKentameter



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Baby's first murder, Established Relationship, M/M, UA-Universe Alteration, dark!Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 07:02:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1679087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IambicKentameter/pseuds/IambicKentameter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After three months of being together, Will finally realizes Hannibal's intentions in persuading Will to give in to the murderous thouhts that had plagued his thoughts for so long.</p><p>Takes place just after 2.8, Su-zakana.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gold Metal of Participation

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly wrote this just after 2.8, and then lost the show for a few episodes. Now that the show parallels it kind of closely, and it's everything I want out of a show. Just thought I should post it now that I'm done.

For the first time in three months, Will woke up alone.

            Their room, his and Hannibal’s, was cold and bare, devoid of any sort of mess or colour. The sheets were wrapped tightly around his calves, telling him he’d been alone for at least one 90minute sleep cycle.

            He ran a hand through his sweaty hair and sighed, bringing chilled air into his compressed lungs. “Fuck…” He whispered, untangling himself before stumbling down the narrow flight of steps leading to the kitchen.

            “Good morning.” Hannibal greeted from behind the kitchen counter, an omelet grilling in his favorite Cast-iron skillet.

            “You picked up our clothes?” It came out more like a question than an observation, but Will forgave himself for the tone.

            “I had an early client to speak with, I couldn’t have them more focused on your delicates than their story.” Hannibal gave him a flirtatious smile and passed over a mug of tea to start off Will’s breakfast. “Speaking of last night, you were going to say something before we became indecent.”

            “Oh.” Will drained the tea quickly, using it as a distraction from the conversation. “I was going to say that I think I finally understand.” Will set his mug down and stared at the dregs of Tea lying there. “Why you continued to encourage me to express my pain through murder.”

            Hannibal studied him with a curious expression. “And what have you discovered?”

            “Each time you encouraged me to accept my own murderous tendencies, you were really trying to get me to accept yours.” Will gave him an empty stare.

            “Very good.” Hannibal smiled his half-cocked grin. “Now that you have realized this, what have you decided? Will you accept me?”

            “I already have accepted you.” Will slid his mug across the counter. “It’s your homicidal hobbies I’ve chosen to deny.”

            “My hobbies are myself, Will.” Hannibal chided. “They keep you fed, as well.”

            “It sickens me to think that your kills are on our dinner table every night.” He grimaced. “But I ignored them because I love you.”

            “I love you too.” Hannibal responded automatically.

            “You’re incapable of love, we both know that.” Will shook his head and turned his head away from the counter. “And your actions disgust me.”

            “There is less conviction in your voice than usual, Will. Don’t tell me our actions of last night have changed something in you.”

            Will sighed. “Sex doesn’t change me. Realizations do.”

            “And you realized my attempts to get you to understand me?” Hannibal finished the omelet with a flip and then scraped it onto a plate. “I won’t deny my attempts, Will, as long as you won’t deny what you feel for me is more than love, but is also understanding.”

            “I understand you on an empathetic level.” Will said coldly, refusing to look at him.

            Hannibal’s footsteps approached from behind him, his lips caressing Will’s bare shoulder and reminding him he’d be needing a shirt sometime soon. “I know you understand me in a way that your talents allow.” He wrapped an arm around Will’s waist, gentle but firm, comforting and stifling all at once. “Perhaps I should be more clear.”         

            “I’d ask clarity of you every day if I didn’t know it would only be returned with a sly smile and an unfulfilled promise.” Will sneered, but made no attempt to move.

            Hannibal ignored his comment and kissed just behind his ear. “Join me.”

            “What?” Will remained unmoving, even stiffened. “You want me to...”

            “Not together. But as a joint effort.” Hannibal explained, encouraging Will to turn around and face him with a series of gentle tugs. “The way I see your dilemma, it is that either you should turn me in to Jack once your need for another human is fulfilled-“

            “I don’t need anyone else.” Will said quickly before Hannibal’s hand rose to cover his mouth.

            “Perhaps not anyone else, but you need me. A scapegoat, a morsel of a person to encourage your need to blame. An outlet for your external locus of control, if you will.” Hannibal removed his hand and kissed Will, barely a brush of lips. “As I was saying, either you’ll turn me in with proper evidence this time, or you’ll join me in the slaughter.” There was a certain light in his eyes when he said this, as if he already knew what Will would chose.

            Will’s lips pressed into a tight, flat line. “I see. Can I-“

            “Take your time.” Hannibal said with a small smile. “I understand that you wanted to spend some time in the lab today. Think about my proposition while you work, please.” He let Will go, but leaned close. “Think about hands other than the murderer’s on the cadaver, Will. Imagine it was you. It shouldn’t be too difficult, given your talents.”

            Will swallowed and backed up to study Hannibal’s face. “I’ll ask that we avoid this train of thought until I get back.” He kissed Hannibal’s cheek before brushing past him. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

            Will grabbed a jacket and a scarf on the way out the door, only barely missing the woman waiting outside as he barreled through the door.

            “Margot.” Will gave her a curt nod as he shut the front door behind him. “I assume you’re here to see Hannibal.”

            “You remembered my name.” She gave him a cold smirk. “Been peeking in Hannibal’s datebook? Looking for ‘the other woman’?”

            “Not in the slightest.” Will ducked past her. “Are you here to see Hannibal?”

            “I’m here to see you.” She turned, her hair flowing away her face in a brief moment of a breeze. “I’ve learned over the last few months, in my dealings with the both of you, that you are the gentler of the two.”

            “What about me gave you the idea that I am gentle?” Will snapped in his patented calm manner. “I don’t remember being anything of the sort.”

            “Hannibal is cold, but understanding. You are warm, but chastising. It makes the two of you increasingly difficult to communicate with, and yet, you’re preferable to most other single-alignment people I meet in the day-to-day.” She took her gloved hands from her pockets. “I’d like to speak to you, if you’d spare me a moment.”

            “What do you want, Margot?” Will tucked his scarf into his jacket and gave her harsh look.

            “I murdered my brother.” She said, any form of guilt or sadness leaving entirely, leaving room for the childish glee she obviously felt. “And I need your help hiding the body.”

            Will glanced around the empty street for any prying eyes. “Perhaps we should take this inside, where no one can hear us.” He sighed. “Jack will have to wait, today.” He mumbled under his breath.

            “What?” Margot tilted her head to better hear him as he brushed past her in order to open his door once more.

            “Nothing. Come in, please.” He opened the door for her and removed his scarf, hanging it on a hook.

            “A few hours pass so quickly.” Hannibal said with a smirk. “I see you’ve collected Margot from somewhere or another. Hello. Would you like some breakfast?”

            She shook her head politely and handed her jacket to Will before taking a seat at their kitchen table. “I’ve had my fill of excitement for today. Though, ironically, I am in the market for a new chef.” She leaned over the table, her hair brushing the polished surface. “Someone with your peculiar brand of talent.”

            “How does she know…?” Will pointed over his shoulder. “Did you tell her?”

            “Margot is very intuitive. It only took her one meal to know what I’d put on the table was not Pork.”

            “I have a very delicate palate when it comes to meats.” She sat back in her chair like the businesswoman she was. “A palate that any plate of yours seems to satisfy.” She brushed a single lock of hair out of her eyes. “I need you to get rid of a body.”

            “Ah. You’ve finally gone through with the murder?” Hannibal gave her a tight smile and passed over a plate to Will, the same plate as earlier. “Eat this, Will. You need something.”

            Will begrudgingly picked at it, every once in awhile taking a bite while the other two conversed.

            “Will,” Margot rested her chin in her palm and stared him down. “Have you finally come to terms with the idea of three psychopaths in your kitchen?”

            “I only count two of you.” Will grumbled around his fork.

            Hannibal chuckled. “Will has yet to come to terms with his needs. For now, I pacify them with equally basic tactics.”

            “You mean sex?” Margot giggled.

            “To be indecent, yes.” Hannibal shared a brief smile with Will, Will’s a bit more sarcastic and short lived.

            “I certainly hope he’s a better bottom.” Margot gave Will a wink.

            Hannibal ignored her comment and turned his attention towards Will. “It seems as though Margot is preparing the meat for tonight. I feel as though it would be a nice change of pace for you to join me in the kitchen once again, Will.”

            Will nodded. “Should Margot be choosing the dish, then?”

            “She brought the meat.” Hannibal shrugged. “If she would like to chose, she may. And there are many parts to chose from.”

            “Perhaps something with the adrenal glands?” Margot suggested before getting up to make herself a cup of tea. “The flavor should be interesting, if a bit sour.”

            Hannibal nodded and pointed to the cabinet where his recipe books were stacked neatly.

            “I should get going.” Will pushed himself away from the counter and rounded it to kiss Hannibal’s cheek.

            “Still going to see Jack?”

            Will shook his head. “I think I’ll spend the day at my place. Do you mind if the dogs come back with me?”

            “Not at all.” Hannibal stole a last kiss before nodding in dismissal to him. “They are allowed here, you know. We have made all the proper accommodations.”

            “Sometimes they need to be out in the fields, though. They like to run.” He waved goodbye to Margot, who gave an apprehensive nod in return, too focused on reading through Hannibal’s -most likely alphabetized or something equally anal- recipe cards.

 

 

            Will didn’t hear from Hannibal until around lunchtime, when he called to check in on him and make sure Will was eating during his day-long excursion. (He was, as he assured his partner many times in their four-minute conversation.)

            Will called Hannibal on his way home, all seven dogs piled into the backseat and crawling all over each other, but otherwise well behaved.

            “Hey.” Will said the moment Hannibal picked up the phone.

            “Good to hear from you. It’s almost Ten, when were you planning on coming back to me?” Hannibal’s voice held a hint of flirtation, and Will could detect the bustling of other people coming from the end of the phone.

            “Are you having a party?”

            “Only a few guests for dinner, don’t worry. I won’t even force you to socialize if you don’t want to.”

            “That’s uncharacteristically sweet of you.” One of the dogs huffed and squeaked from behind Will. “Buster, not now, I’m on the phone.”

            “Are you talking on the phone with me while you’re driving?” Will could practically hear Hannibal’s eyebrow raise.

            “Be thankful I didn’t have a shot of whiskey before I left the cabin.” Will shot back, turning the phone on speaker setting before holding it to the steering wheel in order to better control the car.

            “Are we calling your home ‘the cabin’ now?” Hannibal chuckled.

            “Hannibal, I’ve been practically living with you for the last few months. The _dogs_ like your house better.”

            Will took a moment to turn down a dark road and turned his brights on. “You have a baby gate so they won’t get into the kitchen.”

            “Are you finally admitting to committing to me?” Hannibal’s voice lightened.

            “I’ve agreed to finally join you in your hobbies.” Will said with a small smile. “I believe _that_ is the true sign of commitment.”

            “I’m glad you are joining me. Was the tipping point our experience with Margot the other night?”

            Will took a moment to shake his head while thinking about how to phrase it. “I… It came down to betraying the man I love or joining him in the insanity that is our life together.” Will glanced off to the shoulder of the road, where someone was parked, their warning lights flashing. “Give me a few minutes, someone’s off to the side.” He pulled over before hanging up and dismounting from the driver’s side. “Need some help?” He called to the figure bent over the engine.

            The figure looked up and tugged his jacket closer. “Yes, thank you.” He stepped into the light coming from his car as Will drew closer. “Don’t I know you?”

            Will squinted at the man and adjusted his glasses to get a better look at the man. “Probably. My partner says I have the worst memory, refrest me?”

            In truth, Will remembered him well enough. They’d met at a party around the second month that Will had taken up a permanent residence in Hannibal Lecter’s bed. The man had introduced himself to Hannibal as ‘James Ford’ at least three times that night, each time giving Will a derisive look?”

            Will, when returning to the kitchen for a brief moment of peace, stumbled upon this ‘James Ford’ in the middle of what seemed to be a private counsel.

            “He’s wearing a hunting jacket, for God’s sake.” ‘James ford’ had been whispering to a couple around Hannibal’s age. “I don’t know what kind of gold-digging buffoon he thinks he is, but to so blatantly take a party thrown by Dr. Lecter for granted and not even dress up?” The other two laughed. “I mean, I don’t care who you’re sleeping with and has twice my checking account.”

            Will hadn’t said anything then, simply stood aside for someone to pass before finding a new room to hide in.

           

            Will shook ‘James Ford’s’ hand politely. “James, right?”

            “Right.” He nodded, looking over Will subtly. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

            “Will Graham, Professor of Criminal Psychology.” ‘James Ford’ stared at him blankly. “Hannibal Lecter’s boyfriend. Or do you prefer the term ‘gold-digging buffoon’?”

            ‘James Ford’s’ face dropped, suddenly realizing not only that Will had heard him little over a month ago, but also that he was now at this ‘buffoon’s’ mercy.

            “It’s lovely to see you again.”

           

            Will wiped the blood off of his glasses, only smearing the droplets farther and adding impressments from his thumb. With shaking hands, he tapped out Hannibal’s land line and stared at his glowing screen while the tone sounded.

            “Hello?” It wasn’t Hannibal who’d picked up, instead what sounded like Margot’s voice. “Will, it that for you?”

            “It’s me.” He croaked, voice horse for reasons he didn’t understand. “I… tell Hannibal I’ll be home soon.”

            “Are you alright?” Her voice crackled when one of Will’s dogs lapped at the screen curiously.

            “I’m fine, I’m just… tell him I got takeout.”

            “What did you do?” Her voice buzzed with curiousity.

            “He was rude.” Will hung up and pet the ears of the pup that had crawled into the front with him.

           

            Hannibal helped him in through the backdoor, gentle, caressing hands coming away bloody from Will’s sides. “I’ll take care of him, Margot.” Hannibal said calmly to the woman who must have been in the hall over Will’s shoulder. “Go distract our guests.”

            “Tell them that joke you know.” Will croaked, shaking slightly.

            Hannibal chuckled and helped Will stand a little taller. “That’s a good sign. He’s almost back to himself.”

            Margot nodded with a faded smile and darted off, leaving Hannibal to drag Will up the steps to a concealed bathroom near the back of the house.

            “I didn’t know we had this one.” Will sat himself on the bathroom counter Will sat himself on the bathroom counter and let Hannibal wash him off. “I should explore the house more.”

            “Margot said you barely said anything over the phone. What happened?”

            “There was a man at one of your parties, about a month ago.” Will watched Hannibal wipe him down, the rhythmic and repetitive motions soothing his throbbing brain. “James Ford.”

            “I remember him.” Hannibal said calmly. “He was very rude.”

            Will scoffed. “Please, you liked him. You asked for his card.”

            Hannibal leveled him with a look. “I asked for his card for a purpose that you have excelled the process of.”

            “Oh.” Will stared at his stained hands, not saying anything when Hannibal washed them off as well.

            “I love you.” Hannibal said, soft but definite.

            “You only love yourself.” Will shot back.

            “And now you, Will Graham, have become me.” Hannibal tilted Will’s chin up for a single kiss. “And that is a reason why I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tiger,
> 
> I know this is a childish and stupid way of communicating with you, but it seems to me that it's the most effective way of doing it. I hope to not have to do this often, but as I have no other way of communicating important information to you, this will be my desired way of doing it.
> 
> I hope this whole situation is easier for you than it is for me, because I would never wish any kind of emotional pain on you. I'd also like it if you'd quit blaming yourself, because this is my fault. You're silly if you think I'd let you take the fall, too. 
> 
> I guess I'm asking if what I did Sunday morning is enough, or if I need to take another ten-or-twenty steps towards repairing things. I just need help in know what to do, if you want me to do anything at all.
> 
> Love,  
> Magpie


End file.
